CDA approves engineering for third city water tower
The city of Medford is looking to the future with planning for a third water tower and the creation of a separate pressure district in the city’s northeast quadrant.
The water system upgrades are part of the city’s long-range plans developed in a system study conducted by AECOM in 2015. According to city coordinator John Fales, the water pressure in that area is currently around 35 psi with the acceptable range between 32 psi and 41 psi. Fales told members of the Medford Community Development Authority (CDA) that the city is close to the minimum and if mains go farther north, away from the existing towers, elevation increases which will further impact pressure.
On Tuesday morning CDA members approved moving forward with the engineering contract with Ayres Associates for the project at a cost of $248,300. The CDA is involved in the work because the water tower and planned sewer interceptor are identified projects with in the Tax Incremental District (TID) No. 13 project plans. TID 13 includes the Hwy 13 corridor including Wheeler’s Chevrolet and the Walmart complex. In TIDs, taxes paid on improvements to the property in the district go to pay off the debt incurred to bring utility infrastructure in the area. In order to reduce the debt burden to the city, the CDA was given control of both the TID 12 and TID 13. The CDA manages those two TIDs and takes out the loans needed to cover projects with the city transferring the tax money collected in the district to the CDA to repay the debt.
Under state law, TIDs have a limited lifespan for incurring project expenses after which they go into repayment mode. For TID 13, the expenditure period closes in June 2020 and any projects must be underway before that time.
Actual work on the water tower and the sewer interceptor will occur between 2020 and 2022. The interceptor project will be a 12 inch sewer at Hwy 64 north along Correction Creek to Allman Street. This will allow gravity flow to the interceptor and allow for the replacement of an existing lift station. About 6,000 feet of sewer main are projected to be needed.
The water portion of the project includes a proposed 200,000 gallon pedestal tower south of Allman Ave. near its intersection with Stillwater Dr. To connect this to the city water system, there would need to be about 3,100 feet of water main.
The estimated construction cost are as follows: water tower is $1,265,000, water main $389,000, sanitary sewer $208,400 and interceptor $554,200 for a total of $2,416,600. The project cost will come out of tax revenue collected in TID 13. TID 13 is scheduled to close in 2030.
CDA approval of the project is the first step in the process with it next going to the full city council which will vote on it next week.
Not only will this be the last project for TID 13, but it will likely be the last new TID project in the city until TID 12 closes later this decade.
Not only will the installation of a new water tower and expansion of the sewer interceptor improve things for current residents, it will also open the door for future development. Fales noted there are two parcels that are potentially looking at annexation for future residential development.
Proposed location for third city of Medford water tower.
